His Butler, Mastermind
by TheResultOfMyBoredom
Summary: AU. Ash and Angela are one and the same. But what if they weren't always that way? Sebastian may have defeated both of them on their bridge that night, but "defeated" does not always mean "killed". Had they indeed lived, how different would things have been for Ciel and his demon butler? Canon-divergence. T for mild gore, blood and subtext.


"It's over now, Master."

Sebastian's voice, so soothing and calm and almost tender, cut through the blackness, and Ciel dared crack open a single eyelid. At once, they both flew open. No longer was that ominous dark cloud of souls hanging over the city; the night sky was clear again, only blemished by the sickly flumes of smoke choked out by the dying fires. The angel had done damage, yes, but not every soul had been stolen, and not everything was destroyed. That was all Ciel cared about: that the disaster was even now still salvageable and the survivors were all safe.

That and the fact his enemy had just been slaughtered.

The boy allowed himself a second to revel in the glee of his revenge's completion. When he felt the weight on his shoulders melt away, the relief almost made him cry. It seemed too surreal for him to grasp. But he had done it. At last, his goal was achieved.

 _Thanks to Sebastian._

Sebastian. Ciel's eyes immediately flew up to meet those of his butler. His demon. And, tonight, his devourer. Yet strangely, there was no anticipation or hunger there. As he looked down at his master, all there was to be seen on his face was a smile with a glimmer of… pride? _He's proud of me? But why would he be? No matter how you look at it, in the end I did little. He was the one who made this happen._

The thought nearly knocked the boy off. It was getting harder and harder to cling onto the pipe; the strength has long-since left his muscles and fingers, sweat was collecting under his palm, and his knuckles burned bone-white with effort. Pain from the bullet wound in his chest began shooting through his thin limbs. Realising he would soon have to let go and break his word to Sebastian, Ciel weakly attempted to smile back at his butler and readied himself for the fall.

Suddenly, the demon's face twisted in surprise and agony. His eyes squeezed shut. His body clenched. He lurched forward, a small ribbon of blood springing from his neck, and crashed onto his side.

Ciel's eyes bulged. Suddenly, he was ten years old again, standing straight and slack-jawed in the flame-smothered doorframe of his old mansion's drawing room. Before him was fire. So many orange serpents erupting from the walls and scooping smoke into the air with their tongues. In the centre, the flames coiling around it, was a white winged figure that smiled in the purest satisfaction. It knelt with head bowed next to a crumbled chair- slumped on it were his parents. His mother. His father. His father's face- _Sebastian!_

Only when water crashed over his vision were the fires doused. The surface of the Thames slid shut over his brow and immersed him completely. Ciel blinked, went still. He had not even realised he had let go.

On the other hand, Sebastian was very aware of his master's situation. Still in pain, he had not seen him fall, but the echoing splash in his ears told the demon what had happened. Feeling his teeth moulding themselves into fangs, he gritted them tightly together and tried to haul himself up. _Master, you lied to me. You said you would be able to hold on._ Arching his back, he stretched upwards and prepared to jump in after Ciel. He tensed- but two arms suddenly latched themselves around him and yanked him backwards.

Eyes flashing into eerie, otherworldly violet, Sebastian's head twisted sideways to meet the gaze of Angela. A soft smile played across her lips as her white arms squeezed the demon's chest tightly. "Silly creature," she tutted laughingly. "You should have killed us while you had the chance."

Shoving her off, Sebastian arced upwards, renewed adrenaline flooding through him. Ramming the angel to the ground, he slammed his foot down on her chest to hold her still. With his remaining arm he pulled the razor-like feather from his throat and held it against hers. "You've a point," he hissed, drops of blood falling from his neck onto her cheek. "I think I'll do it now." In his anger, he could feel his true form re-emerging. His skin was blackening. Talons had sprung from his single hand.

"Oh, I wouldn't do that if I were you," called out a male voice behind him.

Sebastian turned again, snarling at Ash over his shoulder. Then his eyes widened. Wrapped tightly in the angel's embrace was Ciel, apparently unconscious and soaked to the bone. Some of the blood from his wound mixed with the river water and lapped against Ash's pristine tailcoat, turning the pure white fabric a murky crimson red.

Underneath Sebastian, Angela had raised her head slightly. Still smiling at him, she noted smoothly: "The boy could awaken at any moment- what if he were to see what you really look like? In your very own words, as a butler, it would be unacceptable to damage your master's impression of you."

"Indeed," joined in Ash, sporting that same soft smile. "He would probably be quite frightened- might jerk in surprise a bit. Wouldn't it be a shame if he did that and I accidentally dropped him?"

At those words, Sebastian lowered his head so that his long black bangs would tumble over his brow and conceal his face. When he brushed them back to the frame of his cheeks, his features and skin were back to normal. The claws on his hand retreated back inside his glove fabric. Then he gave his trademark smile. "Of course. Do excuse me. I have behaved without courtesy." Clearing his throat, his gaze went back to and burned into Ash. "Thank you for retrieving my master- I'd like him back now if that's alright."

Ash's smile crooked into a smirk. "From what you told us back in those dungeons, the boy's soul is of great significance. Suppose the two of us wanted to hold onto him a little longer?"

Sebastian's polite smile did not waver. "Ah. Then we have a problem." The feather he had at Angela's neck started to press into her skin, eliciting a sharp gasp. At once, Ash's smile dropped. "Look at it like this," went on the demon. "If you do not return him to me at once, there will not be a "two of you"."

Face twisting into a savage frown, Ash attempted to swallow his ire and replied: "In that case, it seems we've reached a stalemate." Then, under his breath: "God damn it."

"Ash!" snapped Angela. "Have you forgotten yourself? We mustn't use His name in vain!"

"That's your problem right now?!" screeched Ash in disbelief. "He's holding one of my feathers against your throat and you're worried about my language? You need to set your priorities straight!"

"Oh, says you!"

The angels' loud shouting, combined with Ash's grip tightening in his excitement, stirred Ciel back into consciousness. A thin thread of water hung from his lower lip and his eyes slowly opened. Then they flashed as he realised the arms he was resting in did not belong to Sebastian.

Said butler, meanwhile, was regarding the two bickering angels with incredulous exasperation. "I try to sort things out calmly, and they start arguing like infants?" he muttered to himself. "Really, creatures from heaven are so difficult to work with-"

A weak rasp snatched his attention. Noticing Ciel had awoken, he was beside him in a millisecond, deftly prising him from Ash's hands and taking him aside.

"Hey!" yelled both the angels simultaneously.

Ignoring them, the demon laid Ciel down and bent over him, eyes rapidly taking in his master's condition; drenched, freezing and hurt. Blood leaked thickly from the bullet hole and seeped through his clothing. His skin was a startlingly white contrast to the red. Save his lips, which were tainted as blue as his left eye. What was worse, they were not drawing breath. Sebastian was stunned at how loudly his heart was roaring in his ears. "Master…?" he asked. Searching for any response or indication to affirm his master was not about to die.

 _He must be in a stable state for me to take his soul. It must be perfect. My first taste of him has to be perfect. If there's any risk of his soul leaving his body before I can-_

Suddenly frantic, his hand latched onto Ciel and shook him slightly, jerking his little frame back and forth. The boy's eyes had remained fixed on Sebastian, but with his shaking they lost focus. Lurched back. Glazed over. His still-leaking blood was now plastered to Sebastian's shirt.

Behind him, two voices asked: "If we may?"

Then the two angels walked silently around him and knelt down at his master's side. "What are you doing?" asked the demon, immediately wary.

"If he does not receive immediate help, he will perish very quickly," replied Angela coolly. "As a demon, even though you are also his butler, you are unable to give him that help- only hurt."

"But we, as angels, are," added Ash. "Since we've both been trained in the art of healing- by Raphael himself, no less- we'd be able to save him; that is, if you let us."

Sebastian's mouth opened in protest, then he closed it and cast his eyes down in resignation. It was true that there was nothing he could do himself for Ciel at this time- if he tried to resuscitate him, their contact would make him lose control. The demon would end up sucking the life out of him instead of breathing it back in, possibly without even meaning to. If there was to be any chance of reviving his master successfully, it would have to someone other than himself doing it.

"Very well," he replied eventually. "You're certain you are able to do this?"

"Of course we are!" cried Ash indignantly. "We're very good at using healing magic to erase the wounds of mortals." Grinning, a thrill of anticipation gleamed in his mauve eyes. "Alright… time to see the power of the archangels, the almighty Raphael, in action!"

Then he pressed his face close to Ciel's ear. "Oi!" he hissed. "Get better right now!"

Wincing, the boy curled his fingers and gently turned his head away. Ash made an elaborate, smug gesture of dusting himself off. "You see?" he asked Sebastian airily. "Less than five seconds, and I've already made him stir!" The response was a glare.

Angela smacked her hands together happily, beaming with savage eagerness. "That's it, Ash!" she praised. "Now, just get some air into him- leave the rest to me."

Sebastian blinked. _Get air into him? That means… -_

His thoughts stopped as they were confirmed. Pouncing on Ciel's mouth, Ash pried the lips, stiff with cold, open and exhaled heavily through them. A territorial instinct surged through Sebastian at the sight of another unearthly being so close to his master, but he forced himself to ignore it and allow them to continue. Angela, meanwhile, had rolled up her long, silken sleeves and turned her attention to the boy's chest.

"This is the part I most enjoy," she whispered half to herself, her clapped hands wrapping into a tight fist. Her arms lurched back. Stiffened. Tensed. Then her fist slammed, hard, down on Ciel's lung. A thin, tight mewl escaped him, riling Sebastian's temper even further. Apparently oblivious, Angela continued mercilessly pummelling, each time sending a tremor throughout his tiny body, jerking even Ash backwards.

A burst of water fountained from Ciel's mouth and he sprang to life suddenly. Coughing and choking. Eyes as wide as dinner plates. At once, the angels were pushed aside- knocking them flying. Sebastian gathered his master into the crook of his arm, waiting in silence for him to stop coughing and taking massive gulps of breath. It was not, thought the butler, unlike those times when his master was seized by an asthma attack. Eventually Ciel calmed and stopped heaving. The blood flow stopped. His eyes, still open, were now focused completely on those of his butler.

"Se-Sebastian…"

"Young master?" asked the demon hopefully.

"…Why is it alive?"

Taken aback, Sebastian followed Ciel's accusatory gaze until it landed on Angela, who was observing this little scene with undisguised interest. For his part, Ash was still recovering from Sebastian's blow further away along the bridge and went unnoticed. Trying to stand, Ciel's limbs gave out and he fell back into Sebastian's embrace. Though he did not any moment take his eyes from the angel. "It should be dead," he panted, more energy and fury behind his voice now. "I ordered it dead, Sebastian! Why is it alive?"

Angela's expression became affronted. "I am not an it, but a she, thank you very much."

Trying unsuccessfully to stifle a derogatory chuckle, the demon coughed and turned his expression back to the boy. "If you would only calm down for a moment, Young Master, I will explain. You see, the angel you ordered dead was the one that killed your parents, and I did kill it; I did so by splitting the angels that made up that one in two. This woman is one of them."

Ciel's eyes bulged. "Splitting them in two? That means…"

"Indeed." Ash appeared from behind Angela, and the two stood together, regarding the pair smugly.

Sebastian stared back at them for a moment, then continued. "This is the result of your wish, Young Master," he explained quietly, not removing his arm. "Combined together, they are your parents' murderer. However, as separate individuals, neither one of them is directly responsible for their deaths. So I decided not to kill them." Then he turned his attention to the said individuals. His eyes glittered like boiled blood. "I see now that I have made an error; allow me to rectify it at once."

He advanced towards the angels. Immediately they drew back, both insulted and frightened. "W-wait, hold on a second!" cried Ash, holding up his hands. "It is as you said- neither one of us killed his parents! Our actions were not our own- any wrong we might have done was not our fault!"

"Moreover, we just saved his life!" added Angela. "Does that not grant us mercy, if nothing else?"

The angels desperately turned their attention to the butler's master. "Come on, Phantomhive! Think about this!" urged Ash. "Think about what the demon just said- you have already defeated your parents' killer, a being made from Angela's soul and mine fused together. That means you do not need to kill any innocents!"

"Ash is right," pressed Angela as they came closer. "Neither of us wanted to be merged into a singular being, and once we were the actions we took were not our own. Is there really any satisfaction you'll garner from killing us?"

"I know there will be on my part," growled Sebastian, perhaps irritated at their advancing towards Ciel again. Angela turned her head slightly to frown at him from the corner of her eye, yet Ash remained silent and continued stare deeply into the boy, who clutched his chest as he glared back at him.

"Do not come so close," he ordered hoarsely.

At the earl's words, they at once withdrew, both looking at him now. He looked back at them and beyond them, mulling over their words. Then he took a breath.

"The two of you have forgotten something," he begun, straightening his back and removing his hands from his wound, displaying the trademark proud posture of the English nobility. "Even if neither of you were in control of your actions whilst tied together, you are nonetheless the two halves that made up the whole of my parents' murderer. That means had you two not existed, they would not have died. I am therefore certain that if I indeed chose to kill you both, I would take great pleasure in it."

Sebastian's lips curled into a delighted sneer. Eyes boiled. Skin blackened. He gave a nod, acknowledging his master's wish. Then he charged the angels. Let his fangs slide out. Fangs ready to-

Ciel raised his hand. "I said if, Sebastian."

Immediately the demon stopped, staring in surprise at his master. Apparently equally astonished, Ash and Angela exchanged an alarmed glance and then looked back at Ciel, nervously waiting. The earl allowed himself a second to inwardly delight in the power he had over them before continuing.

"However, that does not mean there are not advantages to allowing you your lives," went on the boy. "You, Miss Blanc, had a demon hound under your command. And you, Mr Landers, were able to win the favour of the queen. Clearly, you both possess considerable power."

Overwhelmed both by the compliment and the formal mode of address, the two began tittering, fanning out their white feathers like a pair of proud peacocks. "Oh, don't," they beamed, giggling. "Stop."

Ciel smirked. "That means you could be of use to me. You wouldn't make bad servants."

The angels' pleasure at being flattered so was abruptly crushed. "…Pardon?"

"Master," interjected Sebastian. "While I admit that seeing them forced to complete menial chores would be highly entertaining, I must ask; are you certain about this? I can fulfil the duties of the Phantomhive household very well without added assistance."

"Were this any other time, I'd agree," replied his master quickly. "But in that fight you lost an arm."

The demon seemed to only then take note of his wound. "So I did," he agreed quietly. "Along with the hand that bears my contract seal." His face darkened. "It seems I won't be able to eat your soul tonight."

Regarding him in silence for a moment, the boy turned back to Ash and Angela. "While he recuperates, I wish to ensure that I still receive the same quality of service. The both of you have acted as servants before; you should have little trouble doing so again. And if either of you disappoint me, I'm sure Sebastian will do something about it- he may be weakened, but even now, I think, he could beat you. In fact, I imagine he'd have no trouble at all now you don't have a sword to defend yourself with."

Contemplating the gravity of situation they had fallen into, the two angels clenched their jaws and shared another glance. For a moment, they were silently communicating, eyes staring deep into each other's souls, both searching and deliberating their next move. Then they turned to Ciel. Those soft smiles were back in place.

"My dear boy," they chorused in eerie unison. "We'd be delighted to serve you."

A groan came from Sebastian. Ciel nodded in response. "Good, because I have something for you to do," he replied. He pointed towards the corpse of destroyed buildings that was London, littered with bodies and misted over with a thick layer of smoke. "You've made a mess. Go and clean it up, please."

Keen to demonstrate their worth, and therefore convince the boy not to give Sebastian permission to slaughter them, Ash and Angela spread their wings and dived into the cinder-scarred mass of broken structures like two flakes of falling snow onto tawny tree leaves.

After a moment's passing, Sebastian returned to his master's side, taking him into his arm again until he was holding him. Ciel raised his lips to the demon's ear and whispered, "See to it that they do it right."

Sebastian finally smiled. "Yes, My Young Lord."


End file.
